Allen Apblett: the Cowboy family suffers a loss

Allen Apblett served OSU's chemistry department for over 25 years and inspired countless students.

On Monday morning, Allen Apblett, an Oklahoma State University professor of chemistry, died in a head-on collision in Falmouth, Maine, after a local resident drove south in northbound lanes.

His wife, Natalie Menzies, was in the car with him and survived. Police say she is in stable but critical condition. No further updates have been provided on her condition.

Nancy Ezhaya was the driver of the vehicle that crashed into Apblett's. Ezhaya was also a decades-long educator and died in the crash.

OSU issued this official statement following the tragedy.

"The Cowboy family mourns the loss of Dr. Allen Apblett. He served the university's chemistry department for over 25 years, cementing a legacy of scholarship and inspiring countless students. A distinguished fellow of the American Chemical Society, the National Academy of Inventors and the American Ceramic Society, Dr. Apblett was published over 100 times, holds multiple patents and awards and made lasting contributions to his field. The thoughts of the entire Cowboy family are with Dr. Apblett's family at this time."

Job McKee, a chemistry junior, was an informal worker in one of Apblett's labs. Apblett wanted an undergraduate student to work in his lab, and McKee's other professors connected him to Apblett.

"He had a project pretty much ready to go for me that I could start on even though I didn't know anything, any chemistry or I hadn't worked in a lab before," McKee said. "Since then I've learned new techniques and methods and seen how a real lab works, and I've definitely improved my skills because of my involvement."

Earlier this year, Apblett asked McKee to write him a letter of recommendation for the Distinguished Teaching Award.

"In my freshman seminar tour of the department, he encouraged us to pursue research opportunities and to seize on look for our opportunities in his inspiring word: serendipity," McKee said in his letter.

McKee said Apblett made him feel welcome at OSU.

"What hit me hardest based on the brief time that I've known him is that I'll not get to hear more of his thoughts on that subject, because I think it is a very interesting one," McKee said.

Ciara Kelley, a graduate student majoring in chemistry, was a student of Apblett's who conducted research under him.

For research, Apblett and Kelly would look at pond water, using water collected from her father's farm. One day, Apblett went to collect pond water by himself, bringing apples and carrots for the horses and donkeys at the farm.

"The pond is probably half a mile from the gate, and he has a little Prius," Kelley said. "He could not drive it, so he walks out there with all of our water-collecting gear and also this bag of apples and bag of carrots, trying to feed our horses just to pet them."

Unfortunately for Apblett, the horses were not interested in the apples and carrots he had to offer.

"He comes back up here that following week and is like 'your horses would not even come up to me, all I got to do was take pictures and watch them poop in the water,'" Kelley said.

Kelley said she has never met someone as smart as Apblett. Apblett knew so much, and not just about chemistry, she said.

"He could be tough, but he had your back," Kelley said.

Nick Materer, OSU professor of chemistry, has been friends with Apblett since he arrived at OSU over 20 years ago.

"He was an excellent mentor to his graduate students and his colleagues," Materer said. "He liked to take his science into real world applications and discuss that."

Apblett received his B.S. from the University of New Brunswick in 1984 and his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary in 1989. His research interests included industrial, materials and environmental chemistry, nanotechnology and metallo-organic chemistry applied to development of new chemical processes.

Apblett's research efforts were concerned with the utilization of metallo-organic and inorganic materials chemistry to the multitude of problems faced by industry today.

"He was just a great teacher, great mentor, colleague and scientist,"Materer said.